“Noise Brigade (live)” – The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
(Words/music: Nate Albert, Dicky Barrett, & The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, available on Tibetan Freedom Concert, Grand Royal / Capitol 1997)

“A dime for a dozen if that’s what you’re after” stands out to me in this song even if I’m not quite sure what to make of it.  It seems accidentally referential, as the Mighty Mighty Bosstones were the ones who broke open the late 1990s ska-punk revival (and, effectively, opened the door for the “dime for a dozen” ska bands to have their fifteen minutes).  It doesn’t sound cynical; the Bosstones never struck me as a band jealous or resentful of their peers.  Quite the opposite, as I have a vivid memory of Dicky Barrett proclaiming how Reel Big Fish would follow in their footsteps performing on the marquee before the MTV awards. 

There’s the thought that Dicky Barrett isn’t describing his band (or any band, for that matter) but his voice – one that he asks “should I call this my range or a ridge?”  This live version, from the 1997 Tibetan Freedom Concert, only supports that claim.   His band sounds as tight as ever with horn hits and guitar lines all falling into place.  Then there’s Barrett’s voice sounding like he’s trying to sing exclusively out of the back of his throat.  For a man with such a naturally strong speaking voice (as shown in the breakdown and an introduction on the concert compilation’s previous track) the way he’s singing undercuts his voice’s power.  Barrett doesn’t always sound like this, but the imperfections only magnify the self-critique in the lyrics.  Regardless, Barrett doesn’t need to sound like an angel, particularly when the rest of the band sounds this heavenly.

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